PCMark Vantage - Drives with Data Testing

For a complete breakdown on the Drives with Data Testing please read this article. You will be able to perform this test at home with the files provided in the article - full instructions are included.

- Brief Methodology

SSDs perform differently when used for a period of time and when data is already present on the drive. The purpose of the Drives with Data testing is to show how a drive performs in these 'dirty' states. SSDs also need time to recover, either with TRIM or onboard garbage collection methods.

Empty but Dirty - a test run just after the fill tests and shows if a drive needs time to recover or if performance is instantly restored.

LSI SandForce controllers have always performed well in these tests because the amount of data on the NAND is lower than other architectures. Less data on the NAND means more free space to keep the drive performance at a higher pace.

That said the V300 did well, but not as well as we would have liked. Intel's 520 Series is the king of this test with their special firmware, but you do pay a lot more for the 520 Series compared to Kingston's V300.

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